Trunk.



F. W. MEYER.

TRUNK.

AAPPLICATION FILED MAR.15, 1912.

IllI-II Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH c0..wAsnmaroN. D. c.

E'. W. MEYER.

TRUNK.

APPLIOATIONFILED MAR. 15, 1912. K 1,035,220. Patented Aug. 13,1912.

2 SHBETBSHBET 2.

T l l j @3l Z3 COLUMBIA PLANGGRAPM co..wA$|lNuTDN. D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. '.MEYER, OF GSI-IKOSI-I, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE OSI-IKOSH TRUNK COMPANY, OF OSI-IKOSII, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION 0F l/VISCONSIN.

TRUNK.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK W. MEYER, a citizen of the United Sta-tes, and a resident of Oshkosh, in the county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of ret'- erence marked thereon, which forni a part of this speciication.

This invention relates to improvements in trunks such as are designed more especially for steamer or wardrobe trunks, and of the kind set forth in a prior Patent No. 844,393, granted February 19, 1907, to Cyrus H. Paxton, wherein the body of the trunk has an open front side through which the trays or drawers in the trunk may be drawn for insert-ing and removing the contents thereof.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide in connection with a trunk of the character stated, a tray which is adapted to be withdrawn through the open front of the trunk body until its rear edge is outside of the same and then swung upwardly or tilted about one of its ends, so that it will stand in upright position; thereby permitting convenientaccess to garments suspended from suitable clothes hanging fixture located at the upper end of the tray.

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a front view of a steamer trunk embodying my invention with the doors thereof open, and the swinging tray shown by full lines in its closed position and by dotted lines in its upright position; Fig. 2 is a cross-section otx the trunk taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan section of the trunk taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, with the upper tray removed and the lower or swinging tray partially drawn out; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the devices connecting the swinging tray with the body ot the trunk; Fig. 5 is a detail section of the parts shown in Fig. 4, showing the same in the position occupied by them when the swinging tray is inserted in the trunk body; Fig.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application led March 15, 1912.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912. serial No. 683,947.

6 is a detail plan section taken online 6-6 ot Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a detail section through the tray and the clothes hanging fiXt-ure thereon; Fig. 9 is a detail side view ot the upper end of the hanger strip, showing the top wall of the trunk in section.

As shown in said drawings, the body of the trunk consists of bottom and top walls 2 and 3, end walls 4 and 5 and a rear wall 6. These walls are rigidly connected with each other and the front of the trunk is open and provided with doors 7 and 8, which are hinged to the end walls 4 and 5, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 3. Said doors are constructed and arranged, as shown in said prior patent, and need not be herein further described.

The trunk illustrated is provided with two drawers or trays 10, 1l, which are adapted for insertion into the trunk through the open front of the same. The upper tray 10 is shorter than the lower tray 11, which latter fills substantially the full length of the interior space of the trunk. A space is left between one end of said upper tray 10 and the adjacent end wall 5 for a purpose hereinatter described.

A supporting frame for the upper tr'ay 10 is provided as follows: 12 and 13 indicate transverse, horizontal guide bars on which the ends of the tray rest and slide; said guide bars being ot L-shape in crosssection. The guide bar 12 is arranged adjacent to the end wall 4, and is shown as attached at its ends to uprights 14 and 15; the upright 14 being secured to the meeting edges of the end wall 4 and rear wall 6, while the upright 15 is secured to the inner Jface oi' the forward edge of the said end wall 4. The guide bar 13 is located ata distance inwardly from and parallel with the end wall 5. Its rear end is attached to the rear wall 6 by any suitable securing means, while its forward end (Figs. 1 and 7 is secured to the lower end of an upright metal hanger strip 16, which is attached at its upper end to the top wall 3. To aiiford a strong connection ot the said hanger strip with the top wall, the upper end of the same is reduced in width to form a stem 16a (Fig, 9), which is inserted through an opening in the top wall 3 and provided with an integral head 17, formed by upsetting or riveting the upper end of said strip. metal washer 1S is preferably applied to the top wall 3 beneath the head 17. rlhe tray supporting frame also includes a horizontal., longitudinally extending member 19 attached at one end to the front end of the guide bar 12 and the lower end of the upright 16 and at its opposite end to the front end of the guide bar 13. An upright wooden guide strip Q0 extends from the top of the guide strip 18, at the forward end of the latter, upwardly to the top wall 3 inside the hanger strip 16, as clearly seen in Fig. 7. Said hanger strip is shown as having its lower end bent horizontally so as to extend beneath the forward end of the guide strip 1S and the adjacent end of the horizontal member 19 so as to afford a strong' and reliable support to said members 13 and 19. As shown in the drawin Gs, and as preferably constructed, the said hanger strip 1G is secured by rivets to the members 13 and 19 and to the upright guide strip 20, as clearly seen in Fig. 7 A thin metal reinforcing plate 9.1 is shown as secure-d to the bottom face of the strip 19 so as to cover the joint between the same and the guide strip 13 as well as the lower end of the hanger 16, as clearly seen in Fig. 7.

The construction described in the tray supporting frame affords a strong and rigid support for the upper tray, and at the same time affords a space at the end of the said upper tray adjacent to the end wall; said space forming an upward extension of the space adjacent to the bottom wall that is provided for the reception of the lower tray. New referring to the lower tray 11, said tray is connected with a trunk body, at its end adjacentto the end wall fl, by connecting devices so constructed that the tray may be drawn forwardly out of the trunk body and then swung or tilted to bringit into an upright position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. At its end adjacent to the end wall 5, said tray is provided with a lixture for supporting articles of clothing, such fixture, as shown in the drawings, consisting of a. U- shaped metal bar 22 and supporting rods 25, Q5. Said fixture, when the tray is horizontal and inserted in the trunk body, projects upwardly into or occupies the space between the end of the upper tray 10 and the end wall 5 and, when the tray is swung` to its upright position, projects horizontally from the open side of the upper end of said tray. The said space between the end of the upper tray 10 and the end wall 5 is pro-- vided to receive said clothes hanging fixture, when the tray 11 is inserted in its place in the trunk body.

ln the particular construction of the i .da

clothes hanging fixture shown in the drawings, the U-shaped bar 22, constituting the main part or frame of the fixture, has its parallel side portions 23, 28 extended inside of said walls of the tray and its end portions 211, 2l extended inwardly along the bottom wall of the tray; the said parts 2?, 2l being secured to the side and bottom walls of the tray by rivets, or the like, as clearly seen in lig. 8. The rods 25, 25 are arranged parallel with the end members Q-l, Q41-, and are secured at their opposite ends to the bar which constitutes the body of the fixture, as clearly seen in Fig. 8. Said rods 25, 25 constitute supports upon which the articles of clothing are hung by the use of any suitable form of clothes hangers adapted for sliding engagement with the said rods so that the articles of clothing can be drawn outwardly on the rods and convenient access had 'to 'the different articles when the tray is in its upright position. Se far as the general results to be obtained are concerned, any other form of hanging fixture may be used in place of that shown. but the saecilic fixture described is especially adapted for use in connection with a trunk tray, and constitutes a part of my invention. The tray is shown (Fig. as provided with an open, flat frame 2G consis-ting of connected slats, which lits loosely in the tray, and straps 2T, 27, attached to the tray, for holding said frame in place. Said frame is used in a familiar manner to confine the articles of clothing that are hung` upon the rods 25, 25 in a compact mass within the tray when the latter is inserted in the trunk body.

Now referring to the connecting means between the end of the tray 11 and the trunk body, the same is constructed as follows: 30 indicates a longitudinally slotted tube which has bearing engagement in two metal guide brackets or members 31, 31, which are secured in the lower corner to the trunk body and are preferably attached both to the bottom wall 2 and end wall l thereof. Said tube is adapted to both rotate and slide endwise in the guide members 31, 31 and its length is approximately equal to the depth from front to rear of the interior of the trunk body. 3Q is a rod which is adapted to slide endwise in the tube 30 and is provided with two rigidly attached arms 33, 33 which extend outwardly through the slot in thel said tube and are secured to the end of the tray 11 at its bottom. lach ot' said arms 83, $533 is preferably provided with two inte- `gral attaching plates 34, 35; the plate 311 being secured against the part of the end wall of the tray and the plate being secured to the bottom wall of said tray. rlhe guide members 31, 81 are provided with slots or openings Lit-2, 4Q, opening laterally therefrom, for the passage of the arms 33, At its outer end the said rod 39. is rig idly secured to the tray by means of a metal plate 37, which is attached to the front wall of the tray and projects beyond the end wall thereof; a bolt or screw 38 being inserted through said plate 37 and into the end of the rod 32, as clearly seen in Fig. 6. In order to give a stronger or more rigid connection between the end of said tray and the outer end of said rod 32, a second plate 39 is secured in oblique position to the outer side wall of the tray, with one of its ends overlapping the plate 37, and the bolt 38 passes through said plate 39, as well as the plate 37, as clearly seen in Figs. 4 and 6. In order to save space, or to give maximum capacity in the t-ray, the end and bottom walls of the tray are so constructed as to form a groove or recess to accommodate the guide members 31, 31, the tube 30, the rod 32, and parts connected therewith, as clearly seen in Fig. 5.

The guide members 31, 31 are arranged wit-hin the forward or outer half of the trunk body, and the arms 33, 33 are located on the rear or inner half of the tray, so that when the tray is drawn out to the fullest extent, the rear half of the tube 30 will be engaged with the guides 31, 31, and the rear half of the rod 32, to which said arms 33, 33 are attached, will be engaged with the outer part of said tube. This posit-ion of the parts is clearly shown in Fig. 4. rlhe said tube 30 is provided at its rear end with a collar 40 adapted for contact with the rearmost guide member 31 to limit the outer sliding movement of the said tube, and said tube is also provided at its forward end with a like collar 41, which closes the end of the slot in the tube and against which the outermost arm 33 strikes when the tray is being drawn outwardly. rl`he arms 33, 33 on the rod 32 pass through the laterally facing slots 42, 42 in the guide members 31, 31, when the tray is in horizontal position, and is being slid or moved inwardly or outwardly. As clearly seen in Fig. 4, the upright 14 on the rear wall of the trunk body is provided with a recess 43 to receive the rear end of the tube 30 when the tray is fully inserted in the trunk body.

Now referring to the operation of the parts of the connecting device above described, it will be manifest that when the tray is in its place in the trunk body, the parts will occupy the position shown in Fig. 5, that is to say, the arms 33, will be in horizontal position, and the slot in the tube 30 will be horizontally in line with the center of the tube and will coincide with the openings 42, 42 in the guide members 31, 31. Said arms 33, 33, moreover, will then be located in the inner part or half of the tube 30. As the tray is drawn out of the trunk, the rod 32 will slide outwardly in the tube 30 and said tube will also slide Youtwardly in the guides 31, 31, the arms 33, 33 on said rod sliding outwardly in the slot in said tube and passing through the slots 42, 42 in the fixed guide members. Vhen the tray has been drawn outwardly to its full extent so that its inner wall is outside of the front edge of the bottom wall of the trunk, the outward movement of the tray will be arrested by contact of the collar 40 on the tube 30 with the inner guide member 31, and also by the contact of the outer arm 33 on the rod 32 with the outer end of the slot in said tube 30. When so drawn outwardly the tray may be swung upwardly into its vertical position, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the swinging movement of the tray being permitted by the turning of the tube 30 in the guide members 31, 31. In order to properly support the outer part of the tray when in its vertical position, the same is provided with supporting legs 45, 46, extending endwise from the end of the tray and of proper length to rest on the floor, while the tray is in its upright position. As shown in the drawings, one of said legs 45 is formed by an endwise extension of the plate 37 to which the outer end of the rod 32 is attached. The other of said legs or that adjacent to. the open top of the drawer is formed by a plate 47 secured to the front wall of the drawer and projecting beyond the end of the same. As clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 6, t-he plates constituting the legs 45 and 46 are bent or offset outwardly from the plane of the front wall of the tray and so shaped as to embrace and extend around the front margin of the end wall 4. Said front wall is provided with shallow recesses or notches to receive said legs so that when the latter are brought against the end wall, they will be flush with the front edge of the same and will not interfere with the closing of the door 7.

From the construction described in the tray 11 and means by which o-ne end of the same has sliding and rotative connection with the trunk body, it will be manifest that when the tray is drawn outwardly from the body and turned or swung to its upright position, it will be supported in such position both by its connection with the trunk body and by its supporting legs. Moreover, the parts are so constructed that t-he tray may be readily and quickly drawn out and placed in its vertical position or swung downwardly to its horizontal position and again inserted into its place in lthe trunk body.

A trunk embracing the features of construction hereinbefore set forth may be variously modilied in its details of construction without departure from the spirit of my invention, and l do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the specific features of gli, 1,035,220L

construction shown in the drawings, except so far as the same may be set forth in the appended claims as parts of my invention.

l claim as my inventionl. ln a` trunk, the combination with the body thereof, provided with an open front side, a tray adapted, when in horizontal position, for insertion horizontally into the body through the open front side of the saine, and means for connecting one of the lower end corners of said tray with the body, consisting of a plurality of members one of which has endwise sliding and rotative connection with the body, and another of which has endwise sliding connection with the first-named member and is rigidly attached to the tray, said members being arranged with their central longitudinal axis horizontal and parallel with the end and bottom walls of the trunk and tray, and being adapted to permit the tray to be drawn forwardly outI of the body when in a horizontal position and to be turned about the longitudinal axis of thc said members into an upright position.

2. ln a. trunk, the combination with the body thereof, provided with an open front side, a tray adapted for insertion when in a horizontal position horizontally into the body through the open front side of the same, and means connecting one of the lower, end corners of the tray with the body, consisting of a plurality of members, one of which has endwise sliding' and rotative connection with the body, and another of which has endwise sliding connection with the firstnamed member, and is rigidly attached to the tray, said members having their longitudinal axes arranged parallel with the bottom and end walls of the body, and being adapted to permit the tray to be drawn for wardly out of the body and to be turned about the central axis of the rotative member into an upright position.

B. ln a trunk, the combination with a body thereof, consisting of permanently connected bottom, end and rear walls, and h aving an open front side, and provided with a space for a tray adjacentto its bottom wall, a tray adapted for insertion when in a horif zontal position horizontally into the body through the open front side of the same, with its bottom wall parallel with the bottom wall of the body, and means connecting one of the lower, end corners of the tray with the corresponding lower, end corner of the body, consisting of ay plurality of members, one of which has endwise sliding and rotative connection with the body, and another of which is rigidly attached to the tray, said members having their longitudinal axes arranged parallel with the bottom and end walls of the body and tray, and being adapted to permit the tray to be drawn forwardly out of the body and to be turned about the central axis of the rotative member into an upright position; said tray being provided at its end which has sliding and pivotal connection with the body with endwise extending legs adapted to rest in contact with the floor when the tray is in an upright position.

4t. In a trunk, the combination with the body thereof, consisting of rigidly connected top, bottom, end and rear walls and provided with an open front side, of a hori zontal tray supporting frame secured within the body with one of its ends attached to the top wall and located at a distance inwardly from the adjacent end wall so as to form a horizontally extending space for a tray and a vertically extending space for a clothes hanging fixture adjacent to the end wall of the body, and a tray adapted to be inserted horizontally into the open space below said tray supporting frame, means permanently connecting one of the lower end corners of the tray with the body, consisting of a plurality of members, one of which has endwise sliding and rotative connection with the trunk body and the other of which has endwise sliding connection with the first-named member and is rigidly attached to the tray; said connecting means being adapted to permit the tray to be drawn horizontally forward out of the body and to be the turned into an upright position, and a clothes hanging fixture permanently secured to a swinging end of the tray and projecting :f rom the open side of the same, said fixture being adapted to extend into the space at Athe end of the tray-supporting frame when said tray is in place within the body.

5. fn a trunk, the combination with the body thereof, having permanently connected bottom, end and rear walls and open at its front side, of a tray and connecting means between one of the lower, end corners of the tray and the trunk body, comprising a horizffmtally arranged, longitliidinally slotted tube, guides attached to the body, in which said tube adapted for both endwise sliding and rotative movement, a rod adapted to slide endwise in the said tube and provided with arms ihich extend through the slot of the tube and are attached to the tray, said guides being provided with openings for the passage of said arms.

6. ln a trunk, the combination with the body thereof, having permanently connected bottom, end and rear walls, and open at its front side, and provided with a tra-y receiving` space adjacent to its bottom wall, of a tray adapted for insertion when in a horizontal position into the said space, above and parallel with said bottom wall, means for connecting one of the lower, end corners of the tray with the corresponding lower, end corner of the trunk body, embracing a longitudinally slotted tube, guides attached to the body in which said tube is adapted for both endWise sliding and rotative movement, and a rod adapted to slide endwise in said tube and having arms which extend through the slot of the tube and are attached to the tray.

7. In a trunk, the combination With the body thereof, having connected bottom, end and rear walls and open at its front side, of a tray, connecting means between one of the lower, end corners of the tray and the trunk body, comprising a longitudinally slotted tube, guides for said tube attached to the interior of the body, a rod adapted to slide in said tube and provided with arms which extend through the slot in the tube and are attached to the rear part of the tray, and a plate attached to the front Wall of the tray and to the forward end of said rod.

In testimony that I cla-im the foregoing as my invention I aiiX my signature in the presence of two Witnesses, this ninth day of March, A. D. 1912.

FRANK W. MEYER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

